Acoustically transparent pillow

ABSTRACT

An acoustically transparent pillow for use with a furniture assembly where one or more speakers are embedded in the armrest(s) or other components of the furniture system. The pillow can be positioned (e.g., for decoration or comfort) over the armrest speaker, with minimal effect to the sound emitted from said speaker, even where the pillow is positioned over where sound is emitted from the speaker. Pillows may similarly be positioned in other locations relative to other speakers embedded in the furniture system, providing desired decorative esthetics or comfort, while providing minimal interference with the sound from the speaker system embedded in the furniture assembly. Such a pillow may include a fabric envelope and a fill material, where at least portions of the fabric envelope and the fill material comprise acoustically transparent materials (e.g., acoustically transparent fabric, and acoustically transparent fill material, such as a highly porous, reticulated foam).

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application claims the benefit of and priority to U.S. ProvisionalPatent Application No. 63/357,830 filed Jul. 1, 2022, which is hereinincorporated by reference in its entirety.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. The Field of the Invention

The present invention generally relates to pillows having acousticallytransparent characteristics, for use with furniture systems, e.g.,furniture seating systems including built-in speakers.

2. The Relevant Technology

Speaker systems are widely used for home, business, social activities,entertainment and for practical, commercial, and household uses.Unfortunately, speaker systems take up a great deal of space in a home,office, or business environment, and even if small, they are oftenunsightly. Moreover, wiring and cabling associated with such systems isalso unsightly and cumbersome.

Furniture also tends to take up a great deal of space in a home, officeor business environment. When sitting on furniture, it is oftendesirable to listen to music, watch TV, or watch a movie in a hometheater environment, or employ one or more electronic components.Recently, Applicant has developed improved furniture systems thatinclude speakers embedded into furniture seating systems (e.g., chairs,sofas, etc.). With such innovation, there is a need for associatedaccessories that would improve the listening and seating experience.

BRIEF SUMMARY

An embodiment of the present disclosure is directed to an acousticallytransparent pillow, e.g., for use with a furniture system, e.g., thatprovides seating to one or more users, where the furniture systemincludes one or more speakers embedded (e.g., hidden) in the componentsof the furniture system. For example, in an embodiment, the furnituresystem may include a speaker (e.g., a front channel speaker) within anarmrest of the furniture system. The provided acoustically transparentpillow may be a decorative or comfortable pillow for use with thefurniture system, e.g., positionable over where sound is emitted fromthe embedded speaker, in a way that minimizes any negative muffling ordampening of the audible frequency sound waves emitted from the speaker,even when the pillow is positioned over such speaker.

Such an acoustically transparent pillow may include a fabric envelope,wherein at least a portion of the fabric envelope is acousticallytransparent, and a fill material contained within the fabric envelope,wherein at least a portion of the fill material is acousticallytransparent. While at least a portion of the fabric envelope may beformed from an acoustically transparent fabric material, it will beappreciated that in another embodiment, the fabric material may be thesame or similar upholstery fabrics such as those used to upholster thefurniture system, that are not acoustically transparent. Examples ofsuch are described in one or more of Applicant's U.S. Pat. Nos.10,212,519; 10,979,241; 11,172,301; 10,972,838; 11,178,846; and pendingapplication Ser. No. 17/348,088, each of which is herein incorporated byreference in its entirety. For example, any attenuation through anon-acoustically transparent fabric cover (and/or the fabric fill) couldbe accommodated for in a similar manner as described in the abovereferenced patents and applications.

In an embodiment, when the fabric envelope is filled with the fillmaterial, the fabric envelope includes two major general planar facesconnected to one another (e.g., either directly or indirectly) around aperiphery of the pillow, wherein the acoustically transparent portionsof the fabric envelope and fill material are aligned with one another,to provide an acoustically transparent pathway through the pillow, fromwhere sound is emitted from the furniture system (e.g., in the insideface of the armrest), through the first major planar face of the pillow,through the fill material of the pillow, and out the second major planarface of the pillow.

Another embodiment is directed to an acoustically transparent pillow foruse in a furniture seating system that includes a speaker embedded(e.g., in an armrest) of the furniture system (e.g., a furniture seatingsystem), the pillow comprising a fabric envelope, where at least aportion of the fabric envelope can be acoustically transparent, and afill material contained within the fabric envelope, wherein at least aportion of the fill material is acoustically transparent. The pillow issuch that when the fabric envelope is filled with the fill material, thefabric envelope includes two major general planar faces connected to oneanother around a periphery of the pillow, wherein the acousticallytransparent portion of the envelope and the fill material are alignedwith one another, to provide an acoustically transparent pathway throughthe pillow, from the speaker (e.g., embedded in the armrest) of thefurniture system, through the first major face of the envelope, and outthe second major face of the envelope of the pillow, allowing sound fromthe embedded speaker to pass through the pillow in an acousticallytransparent manner.

In an embodiment, the fill material may include an acousticallytransparent reticulated foam.

In an embodiment, the fill material (e.g., reticulated foam) may have aporosity value of 100 pores per inch (ppi) or less, 80 ppi or less, 50ppi or less, 30 ppi or less, 20 ppi or less, or 10 ppi or less (e.g.,from 10 ppi to 90 ppi, or from 30 ppi to 70 ppi, from 40 ppi to 60 ppi,or from 10 ppi to 50 ppi).

In an embodiment, the fill material is foam that is provided as aplurality of pieces of foam (e.g., small pieces of reticulated lowdensity foam), rather than as relatively large monolithic pieces. Forexample, such individual pieces may account for no more than 1%, or nomore than 0.1% by volume of the cavity filled by the fill material.

In an embodiment, the foam fill material may be shredded or cut (e.g.,shredded or cut reticulated foam).

In an embodiment, the acoustically transparent portion of the fillmaterial is aligned with a central portion of the pillow.

In an embodiment, the acoustically transparent portion of the fabricenvelope is provided on the major faces of the pillow.

In an embodiment, the pillow can further include a non-acousticallytransparent fill material, and a fabric, foam, fiber, or other separatorsecured to an interior of the fabric envelope for defining a centralcompartment in which the acoustically transparent fill material ishoused, and one or more peripheral compartments, in which thenon-acoustically transparent fill material is housed.

It will be apparent that in an embodiment, the pillow does not includeany rigid skeleton or other rigid components, but is soft andconformable throughout.

Additional features and advantages of exemplary implementations of theinvention will be set forth in the description which follows, and inpart will be obvious from the description, or may be learned by thepractice of such exemplary implementations. The features and advantagesof such implementations may be realized and obtained by means of theinstruments and combinations particularly pointed out in the appendedclaims. These and other features will become more fully apparent fromthe following description and appended claims or may be learned by thepractice of such exemplary implementations as set forth hereinafter.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

To further clarify the above and other advantages and features of thepresent invention, a more particular description of the invention willbe rendered by reference to specific embodiments thereof which areillustrated in the appended drawings. It is appreciated that thesedrawings depict only illustrated embodiments of the invention and aretherefore not to be considered limiting of its scope. The invention willbe described and explained with additional specificity and detailthrough the use of the accompanying drawings in which:

FIG. 1 illustrates a furniture assembly (e.g., a sofa) for use with atransparent pillow according to the present invention, where thefurniture assembly has one or more speakers embedded within the frameassembly of the components of the furniture assembly.

FIG. 2 illustrates another furniture assembly (e.g., a chair) for usewith a transparent pillow according to the present invention, where thefurniture assembly has one or more speakers embedded within the frameassembly of the components of the furniture assembly.

FIG. 3 illustrates an upright member that can be used with the furnitureassemblies of FIGS. 1-2 , with one or more speakers embedded therein,shown with an acoustically transparent pillow according to the presentinvention, positioned over one of the speakers, permitting transmissionof sound from the embedded speaker in an acoustically transparentmanner.

FIG. 4A illustrates a cross-section through an exemplary pillowaccording to an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 4B schematically illustrates an exemplary reticulated foamstructure, which can be used as a fill material for at least some of thepillow according to the present invention.

FIG. 5 illustrates a cross-section through another exemplary pillowaccording to an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 6 illustrates a cross-section through another exemplary pillowaccording to an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 7A illustrates a cross-section through another exemplary pillowaccording to an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 7B illustrates a cross-section through another exemplary pillowaccording to an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 8 illustrates a perspective or isometric view of another exemplarypillow according to the present invention, showing how the fabricenvelope may include multiple different fabrics, e.g., with anacoustically transparent fabric over a central portion of the majorfaces of the pillow, and a non-acoustically transparent upholsteryfabric over a peripheral portion of the pillow.

FIG. 9 illustrates another exemplary pillow according to an embodimentof the present invention, including multiple differently configured foamlayers therein.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

One or more specific embodiments of the present disclosure will bedescribed below. In an effort to provide a concise description of theseembodiments, some features of an actual embodiment may be described inthe specification. It should be appreciated that in the development ofany such actual embodiment, as in any engineering or design project,numerous embodiment-specific decisions will be made to achieve thedevelopers' specific goals, such as compliance with system-related andbusiness-related constraints, which may vary from one embodiment toanother. It should further be appreciated that such a development effortmight be complex and time consuming, but would nevertheless be a routineundertaking of design, fabrication, and manufacture for those ofordinary skill having the benefit of this disclosure.

One or more embodiments of the present disclosure may generally relateto an acoustically transparent pillow, e.g., for use with a furnituresystem that provides seating to one or more users, where the furnituresystem includes one or more speakers embedded (e.g., hidden) in thecomponents of the furniture system. For example, in an embodiment, thefurniture system may include a speaker (e.g., a front channel speaker)within an armrest of the furniture system. The provided acousticallytransparent pillow may be a decorative or comfortable pillow for usewith the furniture system, e.g., positionable over where sound isemitted from the embedded speaker, in a way that minimizes any negativemuffling or dampening of the audible frequency sound waves emitted fromthe speaker, even when the pillow is positioned over such speaker. Forexample, by “acoustically transparent”, the sound waves at any givenaudible frequency or band of such frequencies may be dampened by no morethan 10 dB, no more than 6 dB, no more than 3 dB, no more than 2 dB, orno more than 1 dB.

Such an acoustically transparent pillow may include a fabric envelope,wherein at least a portion of the fabric envelope is acousticallytransparent, and a fill material is contained within the fabricenvelope, wherein at least a portion of the fill material isacoustically transparent. While at least a portion of the fabricenvelope may be formed from an acoustically transparent fabric material,it will be appreciated that in another embodiment, the fabric materialmay be the same or similar upholstery fabrics such as those used toupholster the furniture system, that are not acoustically transparentand any attenuation through such a non-acoustically transparent fabriccover (and/or the fabric fill) could be accommodated for in a similarmanner as described in Applicant's patents and applications describing“tuning through upholstery fabric”, already incorporated herein byreference.

While the present disclosure will describe particular implementations ofapparatus, systems, and methods for enhancing a user's experience withseating furniture systems, it should be understood that the apparatus,systems, and methods described herein may be applicable to other uses aswell. Additionally, elements described in relation to any embodimentsdepicted and/or described herein may be combinable with elementsdescribed in relation to any other embodiment depicted and/or describedherein.

Generally, now referring to the drawings in detail wherein likereference numerals are used to designate like elements, structures, orcomponents, there is shown one or more embodiments of the presentdisclosure that provides apparatus, systems, and methods providing apillow with acoustically transparent characteristics for at least aportion of the components of such pillow. The apparatus, systems, andmethods permit a user of the furniture system to use such a pillow, evenwhere it may cover a speaker that is embedded in the furniture system,while minimizing any negative effects that placement of such pillow overthe speaker may otherwise have.

For example, FIG. 1 shows a furniture assembly 10 (e.g., a sofa). Such asofa may be a modular furniture assembly, where the assembly 10 isassembled by the user, by attaching one or more bases 12, 12′ andupright members 14, 14′ to one another. The illustrated sofa furnitureassembly 10 includes two non audio-enhanced bases 12, an audio-enhancedbase (e.g., including a subwoofer embedded therein) 12′, twoaudio-enhanced upright members 14′ (e.g., each including a front channelspeaker 22 and a surround speaker 24), as well as additional nonaudio-enhanced upright members 14 (which are hidden behind back pillows20), in FIG. 1 . Seat cushions 18 are also provided over bases 12 and12′ as shown. Details of such a furniture assembly are described inApplicant's patents and applications, already incorporated by reference.

As shown in FIG. 1 , a pillow 26 according to the present invention isprovided for use with such a furniture assembly 10. Pillow 26 isspecifically configured so as to allow the pillow to be placed directlyover speaker 22 (which is embedded in the furniture assembly, orientedso as to fire sound through the upholstery that covers the exteriorsurface of upright member 14′). With such positioning of the pillow,this would normally result in significant muffling and dampening of thesound being emitted from such speaker. Such is of course problematic, asit interferes with the ability to understand dialog or hear music orother sounds of a soundtrack while watching a movie, muffles sound whilewatching television, muffles the sound while listening to music, etc. Atthe same time, placement as shown, in the corner of the furnitureassembly, between the backrest pillow 20 and the upright member 14′, inparticular with the pillow 26 positioned up against upright member 14′is very desirable from a comfort perspective, where a user seated on theright seat cushion 12 may wish to lean on or against pillow 26, whileseated in this position.

The present invention provides pillow 26 with improved acoustictransparency, so as to allow the user to position the pillow as shown,e.g., even leaning thereon, while minimizing any negative affectsassociated with such pillow 26 being positioned over speaker 22.

FIG. 2 shows a similar furniture assembly 10′ which is configured as achair, similarly formed from the same modular components 12′, 14′ and14, with embedded speakers 22 and 24 within upright members 14′. Asshown, pillow 26 is particularly configured so as to includeacoustically transparent characteristics as described herein, so as toallow a user to still clearly hear and understand dialog, music, andother sounds emitted from speakers 22, even where such speakers 22 maybe physically covered by pillows 26. FIG. 3 illustrates upright member14′ in a phantom configuration, showing various possible internalcomponents present therein, including the possible mounting of speakers22 and 24. As shown, speaker 22 may be mounted in a top front corner ofthe major generally planar face of upright member 14′, with the speakermounted so as to fire inwardly, towards the seating position. In thismounting configuration, a user may naturally wish to place a pillow oversuch a speaker, e.g., between the seat cushion 18 and the inside majorgenerally planar surface of the upright member, either for increasedseating comfort, or for decorative purposes. As is apparent, suchpositioning of a pillow would place the pillow directly over speaker 22,embedded and hidden within the furniture assembly. Providing a pillow asdescribed herein, with acoustically transparent properties allows suchplacement, while minimizing or eliminating the effects such placementmay have on intelligibility and clarity of sound being emitted from suchspeaker (e.g., intelligibility of dialog in a movie, watching TV,listening to music, etc., as well as clarity of the sound from such asoundtrack, music, TV program, etc.).

As shown in FIG. 4A, the pillow 26 includes a fabric envelope 28 that isfilled with a fill material 30. Fabric envelope 28 includes two majorgeneral planar faces 32 a and 32 b connected to one another (e.g.,either directly or indirectly) around a periphery 34 of the pillow. Atleast a portion of fabric envelope 28 may be formed from an acousticallytransparent fabric material, e.g., where attenuation of audiblesoundwave frequencies is minimal. By way of example, such acousticallytransparent fabric materials are available or can be fabricated,although such materials are not typically used in manufacture of décoror other pillows. In an example, the selected acoustically transparentfabric material may have an attenuation (dB drop) associated with soundof a given frequency passing through such fabric, initially at a givendB level (e.g., initially at 45 dB, 50 dB, 55 dB, 60 dB, 65 dB, 70 dB,75 dB, 80 dB, 85 dB, 90 dB, or 95 dB), where attenuation of the dB levelonce having passed through such fabric is less than 10 dB, less than 6dB, less than 3 dB, less than 5 dB, less than 4 dB, less than 3 dB, lessthan 2 dB, or less than 1 dB. The frequencies where such minimalattenuation is provided can be across the audible spectrum, or a portionof the audible spectrum, e.g., a frequency band from about 20 Hz toabout 20 kHz, from about 20 Hz to about 50 Hz, from about 50 Hz to about100 Hz, from about 100 Hz to about 200 Hz, from about 200 Hz to about400 Hz, from about 400 Hz to about 1 kHz, from about 1 kHz to about 2kHz, from about 2 kHz to about 4 kHz, from about 4 kHz to about 8 kHz,from about 8 kHz to about 16 kHz, from about 16 kHz to about 20 kHz, orany combination of the foregoing frequency bands. Attenuation values ofless than 10 dB, less than 6 dB, less than 5 dB, less than 4 dB, lessthan 3 dB, less than 2 dB, or less than 1 dB are specificallycontemplated for each of the above frequency bands and sound levels. Byway of example, typical upholstery materials used as fabric coverings ina typical decorative pillow will attenuate a sound level, particularlyat the relatively higher frequencies, by more than 3 dB, more than 6 dB,more than 10 dB, or even more than 20-30 dB (e.g., some tested pillowsdampened some frequencies by 30 dB or more). The presently contemplatedacoustically transparent fabric envelope (or portion of the fabricenvelope that is acoustically transparent) may ensure less attenuation,as noted above, across any combination of the above noted audiblespectrum ranges (e.g., from 20 Hz to 20 kHz, even more particularly from100 Hz to 20 kHz, from 500 Hz to 16 kHz or from 1000 Hz to 16 kHz. Manyadults may not reliably hear sounds over 20 kHz, or even over 16 kHz.Relatively low frequency sounds (e.g., less than 500 Hz) may passthrough most fabrics (even upholstery fabrics) with minimal attenuation,although at higher frequencies (e.g., particularly 1 kHz and higher)attenuation through non-acoustically transparent fabrics can besignificant (e.g., 1 dB or more, 3 dB or more, 6 dB or more, 10 dB ormore, 20 dB or more, even 30 dB or more, for example). Providing thepillow 26 with an acoustically transparent fabric envelope for at leastthe generally planar major faces 32 a and 32 b of the pillow is greatlyadvantageous, particularly where this is paired with specific selectionsand positioning of fill material to also ensure that sound is able topass through the pillow as a whole (from one major face 32 b to theother major face 32 a) with little or no attenuation at the frequencybands and sound volumes as noted above. Suitable acousticallytransparent fabric materials can be determined using appropriate testing(e.g., measuring attenuation of sound through the fabric) as will beappreciated by those of skill in the art. Suitable acousticallytransparent fabric materials for the envelope 28 may be characterized byan open or loose weave. Suitable acoustically transparent materials maybe available from various manufacturers, e.g., Guilford of Maine (GrandRapids, MI), or the like.

In an embodiment, the entire fabric envelope 28 may be formed from suchan acoustically transparent fabric material. In another embodiment (seeFIG. 8 ), patches of fabric 40 that generally provide coverage for themajor faces 32 a and 32 b may be formed of such an acousticallytransparent fabric material, while the peripheral portions (e.g., 34)may be formed from a fabric material 42 that is not necessarilyacoustically transparent. The fill material within the pillow 26 of FIG.8 may be of any embodiment as described herein, or otherwise. Forexample, the interior fill could be configured as shown in FIG. 5 or 7B,with acoustically transparent fill material axially aligned with theacoustically transparent patch of fabric 40.

The fill material 30 shown in FIG. 4A may also be acousticallytransparent (e.g., exhibiting minimal attenuation (e.g., less than 10,6, 3, 2, or 1 dB) in sound level, at the above identified dB levels andfrequency bands. In an embodiment, such an acoustically transparent fillmaterial is a reticulated foam. Such a reticulated foam or othersuitable fill material can have a relatively high void volume (e.g., atleast 90%, at least 95%, at least 96%, or at least 97% void volume).Such a reticulated foam or other suitable fill material can have aporosity value of 100 pores per inch (ppi) or less. In an embodiment,such a material can have a porosity value of 80 ppi or less, 70 ppi orless, 50 ppi or less, 30 ppi or less, 20 ppi or less, or 10 ppi or less(e.g., from 10 ppi to 90 ppi, or from 30 ppi to 70 ppi, from 40 ppi to60 ppi, from 10 ppi to 50 ppi) Such a foam with a very open structure isrelatively transparent to sound waves having frequencies and soundlevels as contemplated herein, so as to make it suitable for use as anacoustically transparent fill material.

In an embodiment, the fill material 30 is foam that is provided as aplurality of pieces of foam (e.g., small pieces of reticulated lowdensity, high void fraction foam), rather than as relatively largemonolithic pieces. For example, individual pieces of foam within thecavity defined by the fabric envelope and filled by the fill materialmay account for no more than 0.01%, no more than 0.1%, or no more than1%, by volume of the cavity filled by the fill material. Stated anotherway, the pillow may be filled with at least hundreds, thousands, or tensof thousands of such very small pieces of acoustically transparent foammaterial. In an embodiment, individual pieces of foam may measure nomore than about 2 cm, no more than about 1.5 cm, no more than about 1cm, or no more than about 0.5 cm on a longest side or dimension. In anembodiment, the foam fill material 30 may be shredded or cut (e.g.,shredded or cut reticulated foam). FIG. 4B schematically illustrates anexemplary low density, high void fraction reticulated foam structure.

Many reticulated foams may have a relatively “stiff” feel to them, ascompared to other types of foams (e.g., higher density foams). Varioussteps can be taken to minimize the stiff feel of such a foam material,if needed. For example, providing such a reticulated foam in very smallpieces can help with minimizing the stiff feel. Another way to minimizethe stiffness may be to fill the cavity within the pillow with a blendof reticulated or other types of foam materials (e.g., one or more of alower porosity) and one or more with a higher porosity). The percentageof such foams in such a blend may range from 5% to 95%, such as 5%, 10%,15%, 20%, 25%, 30%, 35%, 40%, 45%, 50%, 55%, 60%, 65%, 70%, 75%, 80%,85%, 90%, or 95% by volume. Ranges for any of such materials may bedefined between any such percentages (e.g., 5-95%, or 20-80%, etc.).Where the blend includes both an acoustically transparent foam material,and a foam material that is not acoustically transparent (i.e., itprovides a dB attenuation of greater than a threshold value, such as 3dB at a given sound level, such as 80 dB, in a given audible frequencyband, such as 1 kHz to 16 kHz, or any other testing values as describedherein), the blend may be such that the acoustically transparent foammaterial is included in the blend in an amount of at least 50%, at least55%, at least 60%, at least 65%, or at least 75% by volume of the blend,or cavity being filled. In an embodiment, stiffness may be minimized byproviding the foam fill material in a variety of sizes (e.g., the foamfill material need not be all of a uniform size, but may be provided byblending together a variety of different sizes of foam pieces. In anembodiment, stiffness may be minimized by simply selecting a foammaterial that provides both high porosity (high void fraction), whilealso providing a very soft feel, where such materials are available.

FIG. 5 illustrates another embodiment, of a pillow 26 a, that similarlyincludes a fabric envelope 28 that defines an internal cavity in whichfill materials are provided. As with the pillow 26 of FIG. 4A, thefabric envelope of pillow 26 a can similarly comprise an acousticallytransparent fabric material. One difference relative to pillow 26 acompared to pillow 26 of FIG. 4A is that pillow 26 a is shown as beingfilled with both acoustically transparent fill material 30 (e.g.,reticulated foam, with very high void fraction, as described above) aswell as another fill material 30 a, which may not necessarily beacoustically transparent. For example, portions of the pillow 26 a mayalso contain non-transparent materials 30 a such as cotton, polyesterfibers, latex, memory foam, wool or other more typical pillow fillmaterials in order to better maintain the soft and conformable feel of atypical pillow. As shown, pockets or cavities within the pillow 26 a(formed with an internal fabric or other separator 36 sewn to the outershell 28) may be created in order to keep the acoustically transparentfoam 30 in a specific location (e.g., centrally positioned within thepillow) while allowing non-transparent foam fill 30 a to be in theremaining portions. For example, pillow 26 a is shown as including acentral cavity portion 38 a, filled with the acoustically transparentfoam fill material, while peripheral cavity portion(s) 38 b are providedaround the peripheral portion of the pillow. Thus, such a pillow caninclude an acoustically transparent fill material 30, as well as anon-acoustically transparent fill material 30 a, and a fabric or otherseparator 36 secured to an interior of the fabric envelope 28 fordefining a central compartment 38 a in which the acousticallytransparent fill material 30 is housed, and one or more peripheralcompartments 38 b, in which the non-acoustically transparent fillmaterial 30 a is housed.

While such different fill materials are shown as provided withinseparate cavities in FIG. 5 , it will be appreciated that in anotherembodiment, such different materials can be dispersed together, withinthe same cavity, with softer materials (e.g., like filling 30 adispersed evenly throughout the acoustically transparent foam material30, to help balance comfort with acoustic transparency. An example ofsuch a pillow 26 b is shown in FIG. 6 . In such an embodiment, theacoustically transparent fill material 30 may account for at least 50%,at least 55%, at least 60%, at least 65%, at least 70%, or at least 75%by volume of the fill material (i.e., at least 50% of the volume of thecavity is filled with the acoustically transparent fill material 30).

In an embodiment such as that shown in FIG. 5 or 8 , an acousticallytransparent pathway is provided through a central portion of the pillow,for example, where sound can enter the pillow from speaker 22, throughthe portion of the fabric cover 28 at major face 32 b that coverscentral cavity 38 a, passes through acoustically transparent foam fill30, and exits the pillow (where it is heard by the user) through theportion of fabric cover 28 on the opposite side of cavity 38 a, whichfabric covers the other major face 32 a. Referring to FIG. 8 , suchsound may pass through the central portion of the pillow 26 (e.g.,corresponding to acoustically transparent patch 40).

FIG. 7A illustrates another embodiment of an acoustically transparentpillow 26 c, where the fill within the pillow includes elastic polymers,foams, or similar materials (e.g., as used in some memory foammattresses) with patterned cutouts that are aligned axially with thedirection of the sound waves. For example, as shown in FIG. 7A, pillow26 c includes a fabric envelope 28 where the interior of the pillowcavity 38 is at least partially filled with such a patterned polymer orfoam material 30 b, where the individual cutouts C or openings areaxially aligned with the direction of sound S being emitted from thespeaker (e.g., speaker 22). Such a configuration provides open tunnelsthrough which such sound can pass (cutouts, openings or channels C),from one major face 32 b to the opposite major face 32 a, with minimalinterference from the polymer or foam material 30 b, because such soundsimply passes through the empty channels that may extend all or asubstantial portion of the distance between the fabric envelope 28covering the major faces 32 a and 32 b.

FIG. 7B shows a similar embodiment of a pillow 26 d, but in which thepolymer or foam material 30 b is present only within a central portionof the pillow, surrounded by other foam material 30 a (where foammaterial 30 a may not necessarily be acoustically transparent).

FIG. 9 illustrates another embodiment of an acoustically transparentpillow 26 e, including a fabric envelope 28 where the fill within thepillow includes a plurality of foam or other fill layers 30 c, 30 d,where different layers (e.g., 30 c versus 30 d) include differentdensity, porosity or softness characteristics, to provide a desired feeland shape, while also providing acoustic transparency to at least selectportions of the pillow (e.g., a center portion of the pillow, forpositioning over the embedded speaker location). For example, in anembodiment, foam layers 30 c may be formed from a foam with relativelylower porosity, that is relatively soft, while the foam layers labeled30 d may be relatively less soft (more stiff), higher porosity foam.

It will be apparent that in the various disclosed embodiments, thepillow does not include any rigid skeleton or other rigid components,but is soft and conformable throughout, so as to function and appear asany other decorative pillow typically used on a chair or couch.

While the present invention is described principally in the context ofan acoustically transparent pillow for use with a couch or similarfurniture having embedded speakers, it will be apparent that theinvention is not limited to such, but extends to other articles, thatwould similarly be soft and conformable, where such article covers oneor more speakers, but is acoustically transparent, so as to not provideany substantial impedance to the sound transmitted from a hidden,embedded speaker (e.g., whether in a chair, couch or other piece offurniture, such as frameless furniture (e.g., Applicant's SAC), a bed,mattress, or the like.

The terminology used herein is for the purpose of describing particularembodiments only and is not intended to be limiting of the invention.Unless otherwise defined, all terms (including technical and scientificterms) used herein have the same meaning as commonly understood by oneof ordinary skill in the art to which this invention belongs. It will befurther understood that terms, such as those defined in commonly useddictionaries, should be interpreted as having a meaning that isconsistent with their meaning in the context of the relevant work.

The articles “a,” “an,” and “the” are intended to mean that there areone or more of the elements in the preceding descriptions. The terms“comprising,” “including,” and “having” are intended to be inclusive andmean that there may be additional elements other than the listedelements. Additionally, it should be understood that references to “oneembodiment” or “an embodiment” of the present disclosure are notintended to be interpreted as excluding the existence of additionalembodiments that also incorporate the recited features. Numbers,percentages, ratios, or other values stated herein are intended toinclude that value, and also other values that are “about” or“approximately” the stated value, as would be appreciated by one ofordinary skill in the art encompassed by embodiments of the presentdisclosure. A stated value should therefore be interpreted broadlyenough to encompass values that are at least close enough to the statedvalue to perform a desired function or achieve a desired result. Thestated values include at least the variation to be expected in asuitable manufacturing or production process, and may include valuesthat are within 10%, within 5%, within 1%, within 0.1%, or within 0.01%of a stated value. As used herein, the term “between” includes anyreferenced endpoints. For example, “between 2 and 10” includes both 2and 10.

A user having ordinary skill in the art should realize in view of thepresent disclosure that equivalent constructions do not depart from thespirit and scope of the present disclosure, and that various changes,substitutions, and alterations may be made to embodiments disclosedherein without departing from the spirit and scope of the presentdisclosure. Equivalent constructions, including functional“means-plus-function” clauses are intended to cover the structuresdescribed herein as performing the recited function, including bothstructural equivalents that operate in the same manner, and equivalentstructures that provide the same function. It is the express intentionof the applicant not to invoke means-plus-function or other functionalclaiming for any claim except for those in which the words ‘means for’appear together with an associated function. Each addition, deletion,and modification to the embodiments that falls within the meaning andscope of the claims is to be embraced by the claims.

The terms “approximately,” “about,” and “substantially” as used hereinrepresent an amount close to the stated amount that still performs adesired function or achieves a desired result. For example, the terms“approximately,” “about,” and “substantially” may refer to an amountthat is within 10% of, within 5% of, within 1% of, within 0.1% of, andwithin 0.01% of a stated amount. Further, it should be understood thatany directions or reference frames in the preceding description aremerely relative directions or movements. For example, any references to“up” and “down” or “above” or “below” are merely descriptive of therelative position or movement of the related elements, when in a givenorientation.

The present invention may be embodied in other specific forms withoutdeparting from its spirit or essential characteristics. The describedembodiments are to be considered in all respects only as illustrativeand not restrictive. The scope of the invention is, therefore, indicatedby the appended claims rather than by the foregoing description. Allchanges which come within the meaning and range of equivalency of theclaims are to be embraced within their scope.

1. An acoustically transparent pillow comprising: a fabric envelope; anda fill material contained within the fabric envelope, wherein at least aportion of the fill material is acoustically transparent.
 2. Theacoustically transparent pillow of claim 1, wherein at least a portionof the fabric envelope is acoustically transparent.
 3. The acousticallytransparent pillow of claim 1, wherein the fill material includes anacoustically transparent reticulated foam.
 4. The acousticallytransparent pillow of claim 3, wherein the reticulated foam fillmaterial has a void fraction of 90% or more.
 5. The acousticallytransparent pillow of claim 3, wherein the reticulated foam fillmaterial has a porosity value of 100 pores per inch (ppi) or less. 6.The acoustically transparent pillow of claim 3, wherein the reticulatedfoam fill material is provided as a plurality of pieces of reticulatedfoam, rather than as a monolithic piece.
 7. The acoustically transparentpillow of claim 6, wherein the reticulated foam fill material isshredded or cut.
 8. The acoustically transparent pillow of claim 6,wherein the reticulated foam fill material is provided in multiplelayers.
 9. The acoustically transparent pillow of claim 1, wherein theacoustically transparent portion of the fill material is aligned with acentral portion of the pillow.
 10. The acoustically transparent pillowof claim 9, wherein at least a portion of the fabric envelope isacoustically transparent, and wherein the acoustically transparentportion of the fabric envelope is provided on major faces of the pillow.11. The acoustically transparent pillow of claim 1, wherein the pillowfurther comprises a non-acoustically transparent fill material, thepillow further comprising a separator secured to an interior of thefabric envelope for defining a central compartment in which theacoustically transparent fill material is housed, and one or moreperipheral compartments, in which the non-acoustically transparent fillmaterial is housed.
 12. An acoustically transparent pillow comprising: afabric envelope, wherein at least a portion of the fabric envelope isacoustically transparent; and a fill material contained within thefabric envelope, wherein at least a portion of the fill material isacoustically transparent; wherein when the fabric envelope is filledwith the fill material, the fabric envelope includes two major generallyplanar faces connected to one another around a periphery of the pillow,wherein the acoustically transparent portion of the fabric envelope andacoustically transparent portion of the fill material are aligned withone another, to provide an acoustically transparent pathway through thepillow, from the first major planar face to the second major planarface.
 13. The acoustically transparent pillow of claim 12, wherein thefirst and second major planar faces are indirectly connected to oneanother around the periphery of the pillow, through one or more edgefaces of the fabric envelope disposed between the first and second majorplanar faces.
 14. The acoustically transparent pillow of claim 12,wherein the pillow further comprises a non-acoustically transparent fillmaterial, the pillow further comprising a separator secured to aninterior of the fabric envelope for defining a central compartment inwhich the acoustically transparent fill material is housed, and one ormore peripheral compartments, in which the non-acoustically transparentfill material is housed.
 15. The acoustically transparent pillow ofclaim 12, wherein the fill material includes an acoustically transparentreticulated foam.
 16. The acoustically transparent pillow of claim 15,wherein the reticulated foam fill material is provided as a plurality ofpieces of reticulated foam, rather than as a monolithic piece.
 17. Anacoustically transparent pillow for use with a furniture system thatincludes a speaker embedded in an armrest or other location within thefurniture system, the pillow comprising: a fabric envelope, wherein atleast a portion of the fabric envelope is acoustically transparent; anda fill material contained within the fabric envelope, wherein at least aportion of the fill material is acoustically transparent; wherein whenthe fabric envelope is filled with the fill material, the fabricenvelope includes two major generally planar faces connected to oneanother around a periphery of the pillow, wherein the acousticallytransparent portion of the fabric envelope and acoustically transparentportion of the fill material are aligned with one another, to provide anacoustically transparent pathway through the pillow, from the speakerembedded in the furniture system, through the first major planar face ofthe fabric envelope, through the acoustically transparent fill materialwithin the fabric envelope, and out the second major planar face of thefabric envelope of the pillow, allowing sound from the embedded speakerto pass through the pillow in an acoustically transparent manner. 18.The acoustically transparent pillow of claim 17, wherein the first andsecond major planar faces are indirectly connected to one another aroundthe periphery of the pillow, through one or more edge faces of thefabric envelope disposed between the first and second major planarfaces.
 19. The acoustically transparent pillow of claim 17, wherein thepillow further comprises a non-acoustically transparent fill material,the pillow further comprising a separator secured to an interior of thefabric envelope for defining a central compartment in which theacoustically transparent fill material is housed, and one or moreperipheral compartments, in which the non-acoustically transparent fillmaterial is housed.
 20. The acoustically transparent pillow of claim 17,wherein the fill material includes an acoustically transparentreticulated foam.
 21. The acoustically transparent pillow of claim 20,wherein the reticulated foam fill material is provided as a plurality ofpieces of reticulated foam, rather than as a monolithic piece.